SAMPE Journal - May/June 2011 - 36

Carbon/Phenolic Nanocomposites: Ablative Applications
J.S. Tate and D. Kabakov Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, TX J.H. Koo The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX Email: jt31@txstate.edu Abstract The major goal of this article is to evaluate the effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) on ablation performance of carbon/phenolic nanocomposites. MWNT will be blended into phenolic resin using high-shear mixing technique to ensure exfoliation of nanoparticles. Loadings of 0, 1, 2, and 3wt% of MWNT will be dispersed in the phenolic resin. Test panels of 120- x 120- x 12.6-mm carbon reinforced composites will be manufactured from prepregs using compression molding. Test specimens will be cut into proper size by using abrasive water-jet cutting. Further, simulated solid rocket motor (SSRM) testing facility will be used to examine ablative properties of these phenolic-MWNT nanocomposites with flame temperature about 2,200°C. These results will be compared to an industry standard ablative MX-4926 MC (carbon phenolic composite) manufactured by Cytec Engineered Materials. Control composites (0wt% MWCNT) were manufactured using prepregs and compression molding. Preliminary studies were conducted using radiant heat panel at heat flux of 15 kW/m2. These results demonstrated promising results. This paper mainly discusses manufacturing method and radiant panel testing on control composites. Introduction This research is dedicated to a potential material for ablative applications which could be alternative for currently used materials. Ablation is a process of material removal from a surface or other erosion process, and usually associated with materials for space reentry vehicles and rocket nozzles. The ablatives are placed in rocket nozzle, space vehicles, and combustion chambers of rocket engines in order to ensure suitable temperature conditions for operations. These materials should withstand very high temperatures in the order of thousands of degrees Celsius, high thrust, high friction, and impact. The material should be able to mold into complex shapes and should be as lightweight. Currently the main customer of ablative materials are military and NASA. However with development of aerospace research programs in universities and even in high schools showed the way to many civil rocket launching. For instance the Fredericksburg High School Aeroscience Program (FHSAP) from Fredericksburg, TX, where students currently designed and manufactured rockets that can go up to 3 km to the atmosphere. Such programs are already developing all across the country. Therefore, there are potential civil applications for such materials that can be manufactured by high school students from raw materials. Intensive research on ablative materials began during the space race between the USSR and the USA in 1950’s. While the documents from Russian research is difficult to analyze due to confidentiality issues, the research of American scientists are easily available. Some of these researches were made by universities while some by private compa-

Figure 1. Schematic image of SWNT and MWNT (www.pharmacy.uwaterloo.ca/research/foldvari/about/index.html).
36 SAMPE Journal, Volume 47, No. 3, May/June 2011

http://www.wichitech.com http://www.wichitech.com http://www.pharmacy.uwaterloo.ca/research/foldvari/about/index.html http://www.pharmacy.uwaterloo.ca/research/foldvari/about/index.html

SAMPE Journal - May/June 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAMPE Journal - May/June 2011